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Transfer Deja Vu

By Sam Hoare :  21/07/2010 :  Comments (39) :
OK, so not exactly trawling new ground here... but I am feeling just a little grumpy. Maybe it's those Man City scumbags being tenuously linked with our Captain America tonight but I'm feeling a little aggrieved at the state of our transfer pot.

As far as I can see, not including various past installments deals etc, last season we received £24M from Lescott and spent £5M on Distin £6M on Heitinga and £9M on Billy. That's a net profit of £4M. Plus another £1M from Neill to Galatasaray.

This Summer we have spent as far as i can see around £1.75M on Silva and Gueye.

If we are generous and include transfer fees for Donovan and Garbutt and maybe some other youngsters we have poached, then it still looks very much as though we have had £0 net outlay over the last two seasons.

I TOTALLY understand why this must happen. We are broke. Our wages are far too high a percentage of our revenue... blah blah blah.

But still, two things annoy me in particular.

First of all, Moyes has always gone on about how the Board of Directors will always make money available to him for transfers. When they did, it was highlighted and praise was expected to be given. Now they clearly are not. So perhaps it would be nice just to point this out. Something definitive and clear so that we don't get our hopes up. Perhaps i am just being grumpy and this would spoil a summer's worth of speculation.

The other thing that annoys me is... is it just us? It seems that nearly every other club manages to spend something. West Ham are being linked with a £14M bid for a Brazilian striker FFS. I'm not asking for billions but £0 net over 2 years??!! Can you think of other clubs in similar situation?

Actually, I suppose I can: Man Utd didn't spend much of their Ronaldo £80M. Arsenal must have a low net spend as well. Blackburn didn't splash all that Santa Cruz cash...

Ok... So having looked into this, it appears from 2006 to today we actually are 11th in the net spend table: http://transferleague.co.uk/ In reality, we are about average in net spend over last 5 years and recent shortage in cash outlay probably reflects prudence in the face of the economic downturn and the clear debt timebomb awaiting the majority of football clubs. Sensible Everton.

Still... it would be nice to see us splash a little something to add to what i think is a remarkably well crafted and exciting squad this season. £20M for Ozil, anyone?

Reader Comments (39)

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Peter Bourke
1 Posted 22/07/2010 at 03:43:12
I think as long as we keep Piennar and Arteta we have a good enough squad to get into the top 4.
I don't think we should spend up big just for the sake of it or for keeping up with the Jones's.
Mark Stone
2 Posted 22/07/2010 at 08:12:37
He did what you are asking last week ? 'no money so won't be buying anyone'. That's concrete... so don't get your hopes up. The incessant reading between the lines that is going on is ridiculous. Take it at face value.
Richard Dodd
3 Posted 22/07/2010 at 09:33:23
Yet another `financial wizard` chooses to guess at transfer fees and totally ignores Arrangement fees, Vat, Up-front payments included in wages and a host of sundries like air-fares, house-move costs and general wet-nursing. Take it from me ? the Club over-spent on transfers last season... it won't happen this year!
Chris James
4 Posted 22/07/2010 at 09:35:41
Any significant transfers will come in August, when the Sky cash comes in and/or Pienaar goes. Same as most other years in recent memory.
Trevor Lynes
5 Posted 22/07/2010 at 09:38:43
Soooo any place we finish above 11th is par and top honours are out of the question. Let's face it, even when we won the league years ago, we have never consolidated. Each time we have allowed our quality teams to break up following success and we have never won consecutive league titles. Every side with genuine ambition strengthens when at the 'TOP' and 'Im afraid we do not fit into that category.

If we manage to keep Pienar and Arteta I will be delighted, but that I'm afraid is the best we can look forward to... I don't really blame any player of quality wanting to win trophies and play at the top level if he is offered the chance.

Alan Clarke
6 Posted 22/07/2010 at 09:53:10
The thing is we have a relatively small squad. There must only be about 5 players on the top wage. Not everyone in our first team earns upwards of £45k/week. Without access to Everton's accounts we can only speculate but something doesn't add up when West Ham can outspend us this summer. All of those hidden extras mentioned by Doddy do not account for millions.

I would accept no signings IF we keep hold of Pienaar and Arteta but that doesn't look likely either. I think Kenwright is the luckiest man alive. He found a gem in Moyes when he had very few options to appoint anyone else. Moyes has kept Everton afloat on a limited budget, hiding Kenwright's complete inability to attract any investment to a club which can now consistently finish above a lot of other teams who have found investment.

Kenwright has also been protected by the economic downturn because other clubs are not spending masses. He is now protected by this mantra of "well at least we're not Portsmouth / Leeds etc". This does not prove Kenwright is doing a good job.

What does show Kenwright is inept is the Gosling situation. This is pure bad management. Whether you think Gosling is any good or not, we are not in a position to lose £2 million in transfer fees. The whole financial set up at Everton stinks and it stinks more and more every summer, now to the point where most of us have held our hands up and resigned ourselves to another shitty summer.

Mark my words, we will never be successful as long as Kenwright is in charge. Moyes will keep us up there but, without proper backing, he'll always find himself falling at the final few hurdles. I'm not surprised he's commented this summer on not staying at Everton for the long term.

Sam Hoare
7 Posted 22/07/2010 at 10:04:10
I may not be a 'financial wizard' Dodd... though I do have a chartered accountant qualification, unused admittedly. I do at least read other people's articles.

I allowed £4m for such extras and still a very small net outlay.

Mark Stone ? Has that been said definitively? To me its all seems quite cagey. Why would Moyes be talking about not wanting to buy World Cup players because they are overpriced? Surely any transfer questions at all should be met with "We have no money and cannot buy anyone unless we sell some of the family jewels".
Steve Pugh
8 Posted 22/07/2010 at 09:58:11
All you people that are expressing this attitude of defeat already, do you do it so that, when we do better, you feel that we have overachieved? Or do you really believe that the worst is going to happen every year?

Last year, people were on here convinced that Everton would get relegated; it didn't happen... then Rodwell was going to United; hasn't happened... now it is guatanteed that we are going to lose Piennar, Arteta, Jags, and any other semi-decent player in the squad.

Well, Piennar has been back in Liverpool since yesterday afternoon, not a lot of time to sit down and talk with DM, let's not forget that whilst his agent was saying they wanted his contract sorted before the World Cup, Stevie P said that he wanted to wait until after the World Cup, which is now.

As for Mikki, this is fresh in today:
"Mikel Arteta's agent does not expect the midfielder to leave Everton this summer despite transfer interest in his native Spain.

The 28-year-old midfielder is believed to wanted by La Liga side Sevilla, with reports in Spain claiming they are ready to pay up to £13million to lure Arteta back home.

However, the agent of the former Barcelona and Real Sociedad midfielder does not expect his client to be on the move before the new Premier League season."
I know it is only paper talk, but it is just as reliable as anything saying that he is going.
Mark Stone
9 Posted 22/07/2010 at 10:19:54
Yeah he said it, definitely. There is no money. Everton will not be buying any players. All the rumours you read are fabricated. I for one don't give a shit. We have a very good ? and young ? squad if key players stay fit. The emphasis should be on keeping them all.
Lee Mandaracas
10 Posted 22/07/2010 at 10:45:14
Steve Pugh #8

I was saddened to read that Arteta's agent, Inaki Ibanez, said Arteta would not be leaving us. Don't get me wrong, I want the best little Spaniard we know to see out the remainder of his professional career with us and forever remain an Everton legend.

What saddened me was the reason he stated Arteta would not move this transfer window. In that regard he is directly quoted as having said "Everton are asking a lot of money, so it is difficult for Mikel to leave the club."

That quote scares the bejesus out of me because that says he wants to go but we are holding out for more money (quite rightly) and this is a collossal turn around from a mere few months ago.

If he is unsettled for some reason (presumably Pienaar's unsettlement as the stories about his son have apparently been since refuted by EFC, if not the player himself or his family) we MUST have a quality season this year with great prospects for next season as failing that will definitely result in Arteta wanting to leave and who could blame him? Worst of all, we could only then command a nominal fee compared to that we can call upon now. Here's praying for the 2010 we richly deserve after so long in the wilderness.
Jimmy Hacking
11 Posted 22/07/2010 at 11:07:17
The attitude of Moyes in regards to finances has always struck me as perverse. After 8 years of strong league finishes, runs in Europe and big player sales (thats "big" as in the money received, not the quality or attitudes of the players sold), here we are STILL without the proverbial pot to piss in. 8 years of this misery!

He must be the sort of bloke who loves to browse in charity shops and visit car boot sales in his free time, and haggles in Tescos because his tin of value baked-beans has a dent in it, so they should knock 5 pence off... No other manager would put up with this misery; put simply, he must enjoy being a Del-boy.

I honestly think that if he were in charge of, say, Man City, he would still be nabbing free transfers and rookie midfielders nobody's heard of.

Steve Pugh
12 Posted 22/07/2010 at 11:20:50
Lee #10, I agree, but I think it will all settle down if we get into Europe again next season.
Richard Reeves
13 Posted 22/07/2010 at 11:12:02
I'm with you on this one, Sam, but I'm trying to be positive about the new season and it's not hard to do with the players we have in our squad so I'll wait for things to start going wrong before I start slagging of Kenwright. Don't get me started because I'll never stop.
Kevin Gillen
14 Posted 22/07/2010 at 11:31:46
I hear that Sevilla are preparing a £9m bid for Mikel. Is this one of those lowest offer wins competitions? If so I'm bidding £2.37p for Ronaldo.

Everton's off season always drives me absolutely mad. Like most ardent ToffeeWebbers, I virtually implode with anguish. Our best players are the subject of constant speculation. Our transfer targets are dangled tantalisingly just out of our reach. The club always conspires to mire itself in some form of inept controversy, this year the Gosling fiasco (I expect to see someone hanging from the gates of Goodison over that one).

Worse still Everton fans divide into the most absurd factions and argue the toss about how shit we are. Sadly the football product produced in the Sky era is thoroughly discredited.

Phil Martin
15 Posted 22/07/2010 at 11:06:43
I've posted articles on a similar theme the last three pre-seasons. Questioning how long we can progress and keep hold of our better players when we consistently fail to strengthen.

We can all say "If we keep everyone fit, we can get 4th". But realistically ? if Spurs, City and the RS continually improve (and Cole will make them better), then us selling to buy isn't making up any ground.

We get told there's no-one suitable (AND never has been), wanting to buy us. I find that hard to believe.

So while we have been riding high on Moyes's transfer genius over the last few years, we now face a situation in which the Board have asset-stripped the club. We're spending our forthcoming TV money just to cover our arses. Then selling key players to rebuild.

I said in those previous articles that were posted on here in previous years, that we are in dangerous waters and our position is not sustainable. Every year, Kenwright relies on Moyes pulling in a couple of blinders for nothing. Only wealthier more ambitious clubs have cottoned-on to us now. They hijack our targets and tempt our best players with more money.

Yet some people believe we are in a strong position. Of course we have to cut our cloth accordingly. But the loss of valuable funds from the Gosling debacle only emphasise the gross mis-management of our Board and Execs. They are leading us straight back to where we had been pre-Moyes.

Have people already forgotten the words "World Class Stadium for nothing"? Kenwright has had almost 10 years to find a new guardian and a long term home for our club. He failed. Only Moyes has prevented us from sliding.

Alan Kirwin
16 Posted 22/07/2010 at 11:45:25
Firstly, it's a rather futile and defeatist article, Sam. Secondly, you need to re-visit your calculations: the "net" profit you estimate from Lescott out & Heitinga, Bily & Distin in is grossly erroneous. Heitinga alone is earning somewhat more than Lescott. So, unless Distin and Bily are playing for free, then we are in deficiit.

All these facts are known. The simple truth is this:

1. The club has retained an excellent & coveted manager at no small cost.

2. Despite financial limitations, he and the club have assembled our strongest, most talented & most valuable squad for 25 years.

3. The retention and growth of that squad has incurred greater and greater expense, year on year. The club has (rightly) chosen to aim for retaining our best players this time (and we have quite a few) rather than bring in any more big signings.

Again, the issue we have is Arteta & Pienaar. One is almost irreplaceable. One is reluctantly replaceable; if both stay then do not be surprised by us having our best season since 1987. But on that hinges our season.

Despite the goings on at Citeh, the bold claims of 'Arry, the arrival of the messiah Joe Cole at Anfield :) or the continued presence of ManU & Chelsea, it is a long time before I have felt so genuinely excited by the potential for our team this season.

We must, and I believe we are, doing EVERYTHING to retain Mikel Arteta, But I would understand if he goes. I want Pienaar to stay, but would accept Donovan in his place.

Let's go to work...
Mike Galley
17 Posted 22/07/2010 at 12:05:53
Just as a matter of interest, does anybody know Moyse's net transfer spend during his time at Everton? I know there are other expenses, some already mentioned, incurred by transfers, but I would be interested to know what the figure is if anybody has it to hand. My guess is that it is quite low compared to other managers/clubs during the same period.
Alan Clarke
18 Posted 22/07/2010 at 12:18:30
If Everton's plans this summer were to hold on to our best players, I can't imagine they have held back on offering Arteta and Pienaar everything they can offer and still they haven't signed new deals. This means we are not able to offer enough and we cannot compete in this market.

The fact is, Kenwright cannot attract investment. He was in charge well before the economic downturn and didn't attract any (FSF, NTL), even when football was booming, so we are far less likely to attract any now. Nearly every team that until recently ranked below us has ? Villa, City, and Spurs and those teams below us now ? West Ham, Sunderland and Birmingham.

Just imagine where we'd be if Moyes had had their money to spend. Kenwright has somehow managed to stay in charge because Evertonians are the most forgiving bunch of fans going but we won't progress with that clown at the helm. I'll be cheering us on for another 5th place finish this season. Maybe they'll do a 5th place open-top bus parade for us.

Aiden Doyle
19 Posted 22/07/2010 at 12:04:59
The link that Sam provided also demonstrates that our net spending over the last five years has been four and a half times that of Arsenal. Poor us.
Sam Hoare
20 Posted 22/07/2010 at 12:35:41
Mike ? Everton's net spend from 2003-2010 is apparently £18M. The 10th highest in the Premier League.

Erm... Alan. No. We are talking about transfer pots and net spends not wage budgets. So I was not erroneous. Though obviously the two are linked, wages were not the concern here.

Secondly, I end by saying "to add to what I think is a remarkably well crafted and exciting squad this season."

If this is your definition of defeatist then you must have an improbably high threshold for optimism!!! I suspect in reality you couldn't be bothered to read the end of the article but were already thinking about your mildly patronising response.
Lee Smith
21 Posted 22/07/2010 at 14:05:24
Aiden (#18). True, but over that period, Arsenal have been investing a huge amount of money into a world class stadium. How much have Everton invested on Goodison these last few years?
Richard Reeves
22 Posted 22/07/2010 at 14:27:41
Mike, if you look on The Filter website, there is a post from the 25 August 2008 telling us that, up until that date, Moyes has spent £76,750,000 and recouped £64,100,000 which is £2 mil a year. Don't know how reliable this site is but if you know what Everton have spent and recouped in the last 2 years then you have your figure.

I can remember last year we bought Heitinga, Bily and Distin with the Lescott money and I think Fellaini was bought before the date In the article I've mentioned... so, yeah, I think it's about £2 mil a year.

Steve Ferns
23 Posted 22/07/2010 at 14:44:41
Do I have to post the same thing every year? When you people ever learn about transfers?

Right, if Everton sign Fellaini for £12m, they will not pay £12M immediately. Either they get a loan and pay the figure off BY instalments, or they agree with the club to make payments spread out over a period, the maximum of which is the length of his initial contract. Everton, being skint, are more likely to get a loan to meet these annual instalment payments. Therefore, Everton are likely to be paying far more than the figures you see quoted after interest is taken into account.

We may or may not be still paying for the vast majority of our big signings in recent years, and if we've settled our bills with the clubs then you can rest assured we won't have with the banks. Everton are heavily in debt, our credit lines are extinguished. I hope we can meet our repayments and that we don't need to sell anyone.

Can you all please stop posting with these simple arithmetic saying if that we received £XM and spent £YM so there must be £ZM left over. It simply does not work like that. Transfers get more complex ever season which is why the documents have gone from a few pages to several hundred. Why do you think it's such chaos for the Premier League on Deadline Day?

Please no more stupid idle speculation using basic arithmetic for such complex issues.
Sam Hoare
24 Posted 22/07/2010 at 15:32:32
Steve- Can you not read??!!

'not including various past installments deals etc'

Not trying to oversimplify complexity of transfer deals and I think everyone knows that any Everton deal includes a packet of chips and tomato ketchup sachet up front with the rest in add-ons etc.

We're just talking vaguely about Everton's net spend (oversimplified) in comparison to others. In fact we are mid-table and achieve more than our means suggest. Hurrah.

So...please no more stupid haughty pedantic mathematicians/ transfer experts over-complicating what is meant to be harmless chit chat.
Aiden Doyle
25 Posted 22/07/2010 at 16:04:06
I accept that Lee (if only to avoid another stadium debate for the time being) but it?s also worth pointing out that over whole 18 year history of the Premier League our net spend on transfer fees is still significantly greater than Arsenal's.
Lee Smith
26 Posted 22/07/2010 at 16:49:30
Aiden, I wouldn't call a £460k per annum difference a 'significantly greater than' nett spend compared to Arsenal. Even those gargantuan footballing super clubs Fulham, Birmingham and Sunderland have spent more 'nett' wise than us over the last 18 years. Even Stoke and Wolves during the last 7 years!
Aiden Doyle
27 Posted 22/07/2010 at 17:14:32
I know, Lee. Which means we can discount the simplistic theory that all we need is a chairman who?s willing to throw money at a problem.

(As for whether the difference amounts to much, I guess that?s matter of opinion & we all have to decide where we draw the line. I was looking at the total figures: £55million for us and £46 million for them. I personally believe that £9million is a significant sum in it?s own right. I certainly feel that the fact that, on average, we?ve actually invested 20% more than them on transfers over the last 18 years in noteworthy.)
Tony Hughes
28 Posted 22/07/2010 at 19:27:03
Hello everyone, this is my first post to this site but i've been moved to add my comments as, in spite of being a passionate Evertonian, I'm also a realist.

I'm constantly amazed by comments saying what a fantastic squad we have and this is the best for sometime. If and when we actually win a trophy or at least Champions League qualification without falling at the first hurdle when we are in that competition, then we can start to claim what a good side we are.

So please, you guys with your daily dose of positivity pills, give it a fucking rest.

Kevin Gillen
29 Posted 22/07/2010 at 20:45:57
A refreshing dose of realism, Tony. I am eternally optimistic myself but if I were a betting man I suppose we will come somewhere between 5th and 8th. Football in the Sky age is pretty demoralising. We're meant to be happy because economically we should come somewhere between 11th and 14th.
Tommy Gibbons
30 Posted 22/07/2010 at 20:42:15
Tony Hughes.. I can't see what the problem is, we all know we are skint (just like the vast majority of clubs) and our finances are smoke n mirrors.. Who the fuck cares, as long as there is a team to take to the pitch with Everton shirts on their backs I'm not arsed.

The only impact on the running of the club you and I have is to not go to the game. Time to put all the negativity to one side... just for one season have faith in your club, manager and team for it is the best you've seen since 1987...

Thor Sørensen
31 Posted 22/07/2010 at 20:26:47
Truth is, the club tells us very little (and rightly so when it comes to the size of any transfer funds) about finances, so we simply don't know what is available.

Still, trademark Everton trying to dampen expectations by having Moyes go out and tell the papers we have NO money, with phrases such as "There is nothing available AT THIS TIME" and "There will be no more signings BEFORE THE SEASON STARTS".

Statements like that imply that money for strenghtening could possibly be available later in the summer and we may still be making signings before transfer deadline, since the season starts a fortnight earlier.

Hardy quells speculation, does it? Quite the contrary.
Sam Hoare
32 Posted 22/07/2010 at 22:08:33
Agreed Thor.

ps worked this summer on the new studio movie based on your namesake. Gonna be awesome.
Rob Hollis
33 Posted 22/07/2010 at 23:07:58
Tony Hughes

If you dropped in to see the odd game last season, you would know why people are getting into a very positive mood. We just need to keep Arteta and Pienaar.

Roll on No 1.
David Price
34 Posted 22/07/2010 at 23:51:12
Keeping things simple here, last 24 games: won 13, drew 9, lost 2, since then players lost from the squad, one, who is injured for half the new season anyway. Davey has brought players in that might not be tried and tested PL standard but, barring Tim Howard, Phil Neville and Yakubu, this also apllies to the current squad of excellent players we have at the club.

There are 19 teams that won't fancy facing these lads at Goodison. Away from home, our first pick midfield is set up to play a German style game. Watch out for more performances similar to the one at Eastlands last season. There's something on offer for Everton this season and Moyes knows it.

David Price
35 Posted 23/07/2010 at 00:52:17
The level of our debt is not cripppling the club, at approx interest payments of around £3M, equates to a payback number of around £30M. This was restructured over a 25-year plan around 6 years ago, so the banks won't be ringing Bill anytime soon.

Under Moyes, the transfer net spend is £16M, the club's profit line in this time is approx a loss of £17M, despite a profit in 2005 of £26M due to Rooney's transfer.

The one major step required, obvious I know, but it's CL cash. This wouldn't just reduce our debts, this would generate an operating profit every year despite re-investing to maintain this level. When you are £400M in debt and not in the CL but still pay weekly wages of £90k and £100k to a few players, then you got problems.

Without top 4, then it is a battle just to be best of the rest. Hey, it's a tough world out there, unbalanced by a few billionaires that have now destablised the national team. In the meantime we should appreciate the team we have and believe that this season, we crack the golden egg open in May.

Thor Sørensen
36 Posted 23/07/2010 at 08:28:19
Sam Hoare # 31.

New studio movie based on my namesake? Care to elaborate on this? I'm totally clueless! :-p
Michael Evans
37 Posted 23/07/2010 at 08:55:32
Wow ! They're making a new "Sorensen" movie ?
Sam Hoare
40 Posted 24/07/2010 at 17:58:19
'Thor' as in the Norse God of thunder and also Marvel comic. A $150M movie starring Anthony Hopkins, Natalie Portman, Rene Russo and one of my best mates playing the bad guy.

Should be epic. Think the trailer comes out in the next week or so. But the film won't be out till May 2011 ? by which time, Everton will have hopefully won the Premier League!
Gary Hughes
41 Posted 30/07/2010 at 01:43:56
So we're skint.... I really don't care anymore. I no longer care about potential investors or financial restrictions. I'm fucking proud of our situation, we've become a shining beacon to the rest of the have-nots as to what can be achieved through hard work & graft. We are anti-heroes, despised & ignored by Match of the Day & the national media, begrudgingly acknowledged & patronised.

Let's just keep on upsetting the applecart & spoiling things for the the BBC/Sky darlings. We have built a team to be reckoned with out of nothing... and mark my words, this coming season will be long remembered by Evertonians.


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